A Bag Full of Kittens
by ElysianNeptune
Summary: Rei Hino's daughter, Inari Hino, attracts trouble. What happens when she decides to bring home some kittens? That's a death worth taking, she said. Please read and review. COMPLETE


Authors Note: There are some slight spoilers for upcoming stories. Also, please note, I am still working on Mysteries and Visitors. I just have a bit of writer's block. Vicious disease.

Story is set after Mysteries and Visitors.

A BAG FULL OF KITTENS

One Shot

Inari Hino wasn't your average third grader. Oh no, she was the daughter of Rei Hino, also known as Sailor Mars, and the Princess of Takashi-her father. She had the most remarkable friends, of all whom lived in the Palace. All except for Sonomi, who was the daughter of Yuuichirou. She was in her class along with Maemi Mizuno. The children were supposed to be working on their classwork why their teacher had stepped out to speak to a concerned parent, but they weren't. They took this chance to talk to one another.

"Mae-Mae," Inari said, running her fingers up her back making the child squirm.

Maemi turned to Inari with an agitated look, "I hate it when you do that. It feels like a spider is crawling on me."

Sonomi took this chance to repeat Inari's thing. Maemi shook her head, "You two are little devils."

Inari bent down, just low enough to Maemi's ear and whispered, "I am the Senshi of Fire."

"Gahhhh!" Maemi squabbled throwing up her arms in a fury. "I'm trying to work out this equation and you two are distracting me!"

"Who needs math?" Inari rolled her eyes. She hated math, absolutely hated it.

"Come on cuzzo." Sonomi locked arms with Inari and the two of them went off to a secluded area. Maemi couldn't help but to glare at them. They had disrupted her thinking process and now she'd have to start all over again.

"So are you certain that these kittens can talk?" Sonomi asked. Sonomi knew about the talking cats inside the palace, and she also knew that Rei was one of the Senshi's, but other than that she really didn't ask questions about the Sailor Senshi.

"Well, duh. They spoke." Inari said. "I'm going to get them today before something bad happens to them."

"But your mom!" Sonomi said in horror. "She'll kill you."

"That's a death worth taking!" Inari said, feeling dignified. "Mom has to do the grocery shopping." Inari winked. "Get what I'm saying?"

"You're a dork." Sonomi said. "Where do you plan to hide them? In your book bag?"

Inari gasped, "That's a greaaat idea, Sonomi!"

"Well, I'm going to ask my dad for one!" Sonomi said.

The door slid open and the two girls looked at their teacher horrified. She shook her head and the two skirted to their desks. Maemi rolled her eyes and the class quieted down. The teacher continued teaching class as if nothing had happened. When the bell rung Inari and Sonomi were gone before Maemi had the chance to gather up her things. She let out a gusty sigh and went out into the lobby. She was relieved to see her best friend, Sakura Aino. She quickly went over to greet her. Sakura gave her best friend a hug.

"How was your day?" Sakura asked.

"Dreadful. Inari's up to no good with Sonomi again." Maemi said. They were only in their third week of the new school year. It was a surprise to Maemi that they allowed Sonomi and Inari to be in the same class, but it was what it was.

Sakura giggled, "I'm sure Inari will be up to good some day."

Setsuyo Meioh, the son of Setsuna, came running into the lobby room and hid behind Maemi. "What'd you do now?"

"N-nothing! Just tell your brothers it wasn't me." he begged.

"Oh Setsuyoooo," Katsu said coming in. Setsuyo pushed Maemi up to Katsu.

Maemi sighed, "He said he didn't do it."

"Setsuyo! What'd you do now?" Megumi Meioh his younger sister walked in with her best friend, Sora and her family.

Kazuki Mizuno walked in with a different pair of pants on. "Thanks dude. Thanks a lot." was all he said and he turned around and went for the door. He took out a book from his bag and stuck his nose in it.

"We're not going to pelt him?" Katsu asked with a disappointed tone in his voice.

"No, Katsu. I'm not in a pelting mood after being humiliated in front of my entire class." Kazuki said and was out the door.

Katsu put his head down and sulked out the door, "But that would make anyone in a pelting mood."

Once all the children had met up, with the exception of Inari, they headed out of the school and on toward home. Nariko Kino kept wondering where her best friend had wandered off to. It wasn't like her to disappear without telling her what she was up to first. From the corner of her eye she spotted Inari coming up. She turned around with a great big smile on her face, ready to greet her, but she saw her with Sonomi. The two of them were giggling about something. She gulped, feeling tears rise in her throat and turned back around.

"Goodbye Sonomi!" Inari waved and then went and caught up with the other children.

Anri K. Tenoh was very curious about where Inari had been. She walked up to her and was about to demand an explanation when she heard something purring inside of Inari's book bag. "Why is your bag purring?"

"Purring? You're nuts. It's not purring because book bags can't purr." Inari said sheepishly. She took off running toward the Palace, leaving most of the kids in a state of confusion. Anri, though, was trying to catch up to her, but was unable to. She stopped chasing her and walked the rest of the way to the Palace. She wanted to know what Inari was hiding. She would rat her out as soon as they got to the Palace.

Nariko was infused with fury. How could her best friend ditch her and not tell her what she was up to? But she told Sonomi. Sonomi. Nariko shook her head. She didn't understand what Inari saw in her. She was a liar and a deceiver. She knew that Rei and Yuuichirou had been almost lovers back then, but then somehow he had been known as Inari's 'Uncle' ever since her birth and then he had Sonomi. They weren't really true cousins. Jealousy was evident in Nariko's eyes, though no one really understood why she was jealous of Sonomi. Maybe she just feared that Sonomi would replace her.

Anri's wish of ratting Inari out didn't come true because she was not anywhere to be seen. She was about to ask if she could go to her house, but her parents wanted her straight home to do homework. Sighing, in defeat she went home.

Nariko was in a rather foul mood. Which was unusual for her. She was usually bouncing off the walls and telling Makoto all about her day, but today she was sulking up in her room. After an hour of being home, the young girl finally came out.

"Mommy, can I go to Inari's?" Nariko asked.

"Are you finished with your homework?" Makoto asked.

"No." Nariko looked down at the ground. "But I'll finish it after I visit her. I promise!"

"Very well." Makoto said. Maybe she'd come back in a better mood. Nariko headed over to Inari's house determined to find out what her and Sonomi were up to. Nariko barely had time to knock on the door before Inari answered it and dragged Nariko inside. "Shhh." she said. And the two girls went up the stairs to Inari's bedroom.

"What in the world are you hiding?" Nariko asked.

Inari opened her closet door and revealed her secret to her. "Aren't they just sooo adorable!" she picked one up.

"Your mom doesn't know about this, does she?" Nariko asked, coldly.

Inari put the kitten back in the closet and shut the door. She turned to her best friend confused, "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing!" Nariko said.

"You've been acting weird for the.. Well, since school started." Inari pointed out.

"No, I haven't." Nariko replied.

"Narikooo. Please don't lie to me," Inari begged. "Do you want a kitten?"

"They have rabies." she scowled. "And you lied to me first."

"About what?" Inari asked frustrated. "I haven't lied to you at all."

"Well, you didn't tell me what you and that Sonomi girl were doing." Nariko said.

"Your friends with Sonomi as well and we had already had plans," Inari sighed. "Please don't tell me that you are jealous of my cousin?"

Nariko didn't say a word, but her face said it all. "Look, Sonomi is always going to be apart of my life, but you are going to be apart of my life eternally. Sonomi won't be. There are things that I can't tell Sonomi because she wouldn't understand. You are my very best friend and no one is going to change that. No cousin, no other friend, no one."

"Promise?" Nariko asked, tears were on the bridge of breaking loose.

"An Eskimo's promise!" Inari said.

"Okay." Nariko said, the tears couldn't help but flow down her face.

"Eskimo!" Inari said and stuck out her nose.

"Kisses." Nariko giggled. Inari's face became wet with Nariko's tears. She wiped away some of the tears coming down from her best friend's face. "Do you wanna pick out a kitty?"

Nariko nodded enthusiastically. They opened the closet back up and some of the cutest kittens came out. One of them went instantly to Nariko. She picked her up and gave her 'Eskimo kisses'. "She's so cute. How are you going to tell your mom about this?"

As if on queue Rei shouted for her daughter. Inari shoved the kittens back in the closet really fast and shut it. "I haven't a clue."

Nariko soon left. She wanted to get her hands on that kitten, but first she'd have to wait for Inari to tell her mom about them.

Inari was very hyper at dinner time with her parents. Rei had asked her to keep her voice down several different times, but Inari still chirped away. "Princess." Takashi said, once he noticed how irritated Rei was becoming. "Your mother hasn't had a very good day so it's best if we be quiet."

Inari's lips became tight. The kittens... If she found out about them in her worse mood ever...then that would be the end of it. Inari reminded herself that this was a death worth taking. She remained quiet, and once it was time for bed she kissed her parents goodnight and was on her way to sleep. She had snuck some leftovers from dinner up to her room and let the kittens eat it. She made sure the door was closed, and crawled in bed herself.

As the night crept on and all the lights went out around the Palace, except for the ones at the main entrance and the ones near the fountain, Inari was fast asleep when her closet door slowly slid open. Out squeezed six kittens. They found their way to Inari's bed and clambered up to where she lay. Inari smiled in her sleep as if she knew they had come. Her mind couldn't register the consequences.

The next morning Rei walked into Inari's bedroom to wake her up for school when she spotted the kittens curled up next to her. "INARI REI HINO!"

Takashi was in the room in a flash, "What's going on?"

Inari rolled over and looked at her mom confused, "Mom... I was sleeping." one of the kittens moved under her arm.

"What's- what's all this kitten mess?" Rei asked.

"Calm down," Takashi said. "I'm sure she has a very reasonable explanation.

Inari felt her entire body go numb. The kittens... They had gotten in her bed. She frowned at them. Though she knew she couldn't keep them a secret forever she hadn't intended on her finding out this soon.

"Well, they were homeless and needed a home." Inari explained. "I couldn't leave them on the street."

"There's a shelter!" Rei exploded.

"But... You don't like it when I go to places by myself." Inari pointed out.

"Very well. When you get home the kittens will be gone." Rei said.

"Mom, you can't! They talk!" Inari said.

Rei looked at the kittens, but they only coward behind Inari. Rei shook her head. "Go get ready for school. Takashi call the shelter and ask them if they can take in some kittens."

Inari sulked as she got ready for school. She wiggled into her School Uniform. She saw her dad walk past her bedroom and took off after him, her bottom lip was poking out and she was near tears, "Please make mommy let me keep the kittens. I don't want them to go to the shelter. They'll be unhappy there."

"Princess... I can't change the bosses mind." he sighed. A tear rolled down her face. "There there." He patted her on the shoulder. "I'll make sure they have loving homes."

"Promise?" she said.

"Promise." he said.

Inari finished getting ready and then met everyone in the Breakfast Nook. Inari was still gloomy looking. "What's the matter?" Nariko asked her best friend as the two of them found a seat at the breakfast table.

"Mom's making me get rid of the kittens." Inari sulked.

Nariko's eyes widened in horror. She reeled backwards almost causing her chair to fly backwards, but Michiru caught her before she hurt herself. "Whoa, chill out there little one."

Nariko nodded and practically yelled at her mom, "Mommy! We need to get a kitten! Please. Please. Please." she was begging.

Anri K. Tenoh looked at Inari mockingly, "Ha! So your book bag was meowing!"

"Put a sock in it, Anri." Inari scowled.

"Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom! Mom!"

Setsuna looked at her older son feeling slightly overwhelmed, "I'm right here, Setsuyo. What?"

"Can we get a kitten! I've always wanted one. They're so CUTE!" he screamed, like a little girl.

"Going to go dancing with it," Katsu Mizuno pranced around.

Setsuyo glared at Katsu. Setsuna put her head down, "Please, go finish your breakfast so you can go to school."

"Kitten?" Setsuyo asked.

"No." Setsuna said.

Setsuyo put his head down and sulked to the table. He sat down next to his sister, Megumi. "Mom said no."

"It's okay." Megumi patted him on the back.

"Do you want a kitten?" Haruka asked Kiya. She had been so heartbroken when Oberon had passed. Kiya shook her head no. Her older sister, Anri, was quick to say she wanted a kitten.

"Sorry, sweetie. You already have a pet." Michiru said, pulling back Anri's blond hair. Anri sighed. Soon everyone was finishing up their breakfast and it was time for school. The parents bade their goodbyes to their children and watched them walk out of sight.

"What are we going to do about the kittens?" Rei asked, she turned and looked at Neo-Queen Serenity.

"No thanks. Luna eats too much as it is. And Diana's already pregnant." she was quick to say.

"Well, Nariko almost killed herself over trying to ask me and she's never really asked me for a pet before so I guess we can take one." Makoto said.

"Are you and Raiden going on a date tonight?" Minako asked.

"It's not a date, Minako. We're just friends." Makoto said.

Minako pouted, "But he really, really likes you."

"I have Nariko to think about." Makoto said.

"Do you want a cat?" Rei asked Minako. She shook her head instantly. Rei sighed, she was still stuck with five kittens.

"We'll take one," Setsuna groaned. She was going to regret this later-three kids and a kitten.

"Four left." Rei announced.

"I'm afraid any animal at my house would be tortured." Ami sighed. "And we're kind of waiting for Diana's kittens."

"I'll take a kitten." Hotaru said, she was hoping that maybe a kitten would bring her oldest daughter out of her room more often and maybe interact with her little sister. But those were high hopes.

"Alright, that's three left." Rei said.

"What about Princess?" Takashi asked. "I know you don't agree with what she did, but she was only trying to rescue them."

Rei was silent for a few moments. They never really had any pets before and she had no desire to ever have one, but maybe it would be alright to allow her daughter to have a pet. She breathed in deeply and then released her breath, "Only if she takes really good care of it and picks up a few more chores around the house."

Takashi smiled and kissed Rei on the cheek, "Thank you."

"Two more kittens left? Anyone else want one?" Rei asked. She couldn't get stuck with three cats. She was not an animal person.

Everyone else shook their heads no. She sighed, "Very well then." Later on that day she had gotten a call from her best friend, Yuuichirou, about the kittens. She was rather relieved when he had decided to get his daughter one. She tried to talk him into taking two, but he said no. Nonetheless, she was down one more cat. Now she just needed to wait till tonight when everyone would pick them up. As soon as the kids had gotten home and finished their homework they were given the wonderful news about the cats, for those that were getting them.

Nariko and Makoto had headed over there as soon as Nariko was finished with her homework. Nariko knew which kitten she wanted already, she just hoped no one else had gotten there already. The two of them had barely stepped in the house when there was a second knock on the door. Makoto answered it and saw Yuuichirou with Sonomi. Nariko scowled and went off to the living room, Sonomi was right behind her. When Sonomi saw the kittens she took off and grabbed the kitten that Nariko had her heart set on.

Nariko sat down on the couch with the meanest look she could portray on her precious face and glared at Sonomi. Inari saw her best friend sitting there and frowned. Inari bent down to Sonomi and said, "That's the kitten that Nariko had already picked out."

Sonomi looked at Nariko who tried to change her expression, but it became a twist between pity and anger. "Oh." She handed the kitten to Nariko and apologized.

"It's okay." Nariko said and smiled once the kitten was in her lap. She purred loudly, as if she were happy with the decision too. Makoto and Rei walked into the living room to supervise the kitten picking. Rei had yet to tell her daughter that she was getting one. When it was all said and done she would get the last kitten.

Setsuna and her children were the next to arrive. Izumi, their youngest son, who went by Izzy, sat down on the couch and just watched. He wasn't so much a cat person. Megumi and Setsuyo sat on the floor and let the cats walk all over them. They finally chose one of the male kittens. They started discussing names, but Setsuna told them they could decide at home. They left with the new addition to their house.

Hotaru and her two daughters were next. She looked worn out when she came in and Chou looked as if she had been crying. Kiyoshi looked at the kittens that were left and chose the solid red one. "I want that one."

"It's meant to be a choice between the both of you." Hotaru said.

"I want that one too, Mommy." Chou said. She was clinging to Hotaru's leg.

"See." Kiyoshi said. "She wants that one too. Can we go now?" Kiyoshi asked and picked the kitten up.

Hotaru nodded and thanked Rei for the kitten. They left rather quickly. Rei was down to two kittens now. She sighed, not knowing what to do with the one that would be left over. Inari kept looking back and forth between the two kitties. One kept attacking Makoto's ankle. She bent down and placed it in her lap.

"Mom, there's still two kittens left. What are we going to do with them?" Inari asked.

"You get one Princess." Takashi said.

Inari's eyes widened an excitement. "Really?"

"Yes, so choose before I change my mind." Rei said. "And you have to pick up some extra chores around the house and take really good care of it."

The kitten that had been off to the side walked over to Inari and curled up in her lap. "I like this one."

"Very well." Rei said. It seemed to be the calmest of the bunch.

"Thank you, Miss." it said.

Rei nodded. It was the first time she had actually heard one of the kittens speak. Rei looked over at Makoto who was still playing with the last orphaned kitten. "We'll take this one as well."

Nariko was over elated. She got two kittens. "What we going to name them?" Makoto asked.

"This one." Nariko pointed to the one in her hands, "Is going to be Rosemary. Like the spice."

Makoto smiled, "I'll name this one Primrose."

Nariko smiled, "Rosemary and Primrose. They're both little roses."

Makoto chuckled. Rei smiled at the two of them. She looked at her daughter who was very happy to have just one kitten. She gave her mom a hug and a kiss and disappeared into her bedroom.

Reviews are welcome. Hope you enjoyed.


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